Submitted

Wed, Nov 16th 2016 03:05 pm

"Vaticanologist" John L. Allen Jr. addresses a crowd inside the Castellani Art Museum on the Niagara University campus.

One of the world's foremost
scholars on the Vatican and Catholic Church delivered an address at Niagara
University on Nov. 9 focused on Pope Francis' fundamental inclination to mercy
and servant-leadership.

Nearly 300 students, faculty,
staff, administrators and community members assembled in the Castellani Art
Museum's main gallery to listen to a candid, unscripted presentation by "Vaticanologist"
John L. Allen Jr.

Allen's talk was the latest
installment in Niagara University's Henry and Grace McNulty Lecture Series on
Religion in the Modern World.

Currently the editor of Crux,
Allen has written articles for The Boston Globe, The New York Times, CNN, NPR,
The Tablet, Jesus, Second Opinion, The Nation, the Miami Herald, Die Furche,
and the Irish Examiner. He is a senior Vatican analyst for CNN, and was a
correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter for 16 years.

Among Allen's 10 published books
are "Opus Dei: An Objective Look Behind the Myths and Reality of the Most
Controversial Force in the Catholic Church," and two about Pope Benedict XVI.
His most recent is "The Francis Miracle: Inside the Transformation of the Pope
and the Church."

On Wednesday night, Allen drew on
his formidable experience with the papacy to explain the popularity of Pope
Francis as well as the pontiff's ability to "launch a remarkable revolution in
Catholicism" since taking office three years ago.

Allen pointed out Pope Francis is
by far the most popular religious leader on the planet and one of the most
popular public figures of any sort. The Argentinian prelate has amassed nearly
30 million followers on Twitter and graced the cover of virtually every major
magazine in the world.

On the very day that one of the
most contentious presidential elections in American history was decided, Allen
stated, "In every corner of the world where public opinion can be
scientifically measured, this pope has approval ratings that politicians and
celebrities would sacrifice their children to pagan gods to attain."

The most recent Gallup poll showed
more than 79 percent of Americans generally have a positive opinion of Pope
Francis. That figure balloons to 89 percent among American Catholics.

"If you don't think Donald Trump
or Hilary Clinton would've taken that favorability rating and run screaming
into the night, you were not paying attention to the dynamics of the 2016
campaign," Allen remarked during his 55-minute oration.

So what is it about Pope Francis
that has stirred the interest and the imagination of so many people?

Allen attributed it to the pontiff
possessing the world's leading supply of general moral authority. He said the
"Pope Francis Revolution" is comprised of three pillars - three core ideas that
underlie the whirlwind of activity that the public sees from him on a continual
basis. Allen alliteratively described the pillars as a passion for the
peripheries; a seriousness about service; and a mania for mercy.

The Catholic principle in the
Gospel that the last shall be first, in particular, has informed the manner in
which Pope Francis has managed his papacy. With him, Allen said, that
philosophy is not pious rhetoric, but an actual program of governance.

Allen referenced the well-known
moment when Pope Francis stopped his cavalcade in St. Peter's Square to kiss
and bless a man with a genetic skin disorder that left his body covered in
boils. The moment was much more than a photo opportunity for the pontiff, Allen
posited; rather, it was another example of Pope Francis always having a
strategy for the choices he makes.

"Beneath that humble, simple
exterior lies the mind of a brilliant Jesuit politician," Allen said. "He is
aware that everything he does sets a tone for what leadership in the church
looks like. And those sorts of moments are intended to drive home the notion
that leadership is supposed to be about service."

As remarkable and authentic that
Pope Francis' servant-leadership has proven to be, Allen warned against relying
entirely on the head of the Roman Catholic Church to assuage the world's
issues. All of God's people, he noted, are capable of being agents of change.

"If Catholics have an Achilles
heel, it's that we believe that the popes and bishops are the cause of and
solution to all of our problems," Allen said. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am here
to tell you that that is not how change happens. It happens because creative
people in the church realize when a moment is upon them, and they stand up and
respond to it.

"Change isn't going to happen
because Pope Francis rides in on a white steed and cures all that ails us. It's
going to happen because people in this room stand up and respond."

The McNulty Lecture Series is
devoted to questions of faith in the contemporary world, especially the topics
of social justice and interreligious dialogue. The series was established by
the late Rev. Thomas P. McGourty, C.M., a professor of religious studies at NU,
in memory of his late aunt and uncle.